Student Spaceflight Experiment Program: Group U

Will microgravity affect the growth of Pleurotus ostreatus?

Co-Principal Investigators

Komalpreet Kahlon Kugenthini TharmakulasekaramUndergraduate - Medical Physics Highschool - Grade 11

Francis Buguis Modlin OrangeUndergraduate - Biomedical Science Highschool - Grade 11

Gemma Mancuso Undergraduate - Biomedical Science

Collaborators

Dr. Joseph McPhee Assistant Professor

Murad Jabarov Undergraduate - Chemistry

Introduction

Pleurotus ostreatus - Pearl Oyster Mushroom

- Globally grown and highly nutritious fungus - Saprotrophic fungus:

- Feeds off cellulose from living trees.- Capacity for growth using numerous

substrates

Motivation

- All previous research solely carried out on Earth

- Growth of different species of fungi were observed on the retired Mir Space StationWhat about fungus that is

edible? http://goo.gl/6TMISR

Question: Will microgravity affect the growth of Pleurotus ostreatus?

Hypothesis: Microgravity will affect the growth of Pleurotus ostreatus

- Mycelia is the network of hyphae, roots are to plants as mycelia are to fungi

- Mycelia grows along the substrate as it extracts nutrients from it

- Note: tube too small for the growth of mushrooms caps

Type 3 FMEVolume 1

Pleurotus ostreatus spores

Volume 2

Growth Substrate (pulverized rice straw)

Water storage crystals

Volume 3

Formalin Solution

http://goo.gl/wjQIXXhttp://goo.gl/jxRjLL

http://goo.gl/Q81lZy

https://goo.gl/bI7AmU

The Experiment

Before Flight

Un-clamp Clamp 1

Un-clamp Clamp 2

No growth occurs

Spores mix with growth material, growth begins

Formalin stops growth and preserves fungus

http://goo.gl/QG9GP7

After the Flight

- Mycelial Content will be quantified- Glucosamine assay

- Glucosamine will be extracted from the mycelia of the fungus, differences in quantity of glucosamine indicates differences in growth

- The mycelia will also be studied for physical differences (colour, branching, etc.)

Acknowledgments:

Dr. Bryan KoivistoDr. Emily AgardLindsay JacksonGraham Pearson

Thank you to our sponsors: